Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

First Edition: February 5, 2015

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.

Kaiser Health News:
GOP Chairmen Offer Alternative To Health Law
Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports: "Key GOP chairmen from the Senate and House plan to unveil a blueprint Thursday for repealing the health law and replacing it with a proposal the lawmakers said would reduce health care costs, improve quality and expand coverage. The measure retains many elements of a proposal Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Richard Burr of North Carolina released a year ago with former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. That proposal did not get traction, but the senators are pushing it again and now are working with House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich." (Carey, 2/5)

Kaiser Health News:
Measles Outbreak Sparks Bid To Strengthen Calif. Vaccine Law
State lawmakers in California introduced legislation Wednesday that would require children to be fully vaccinated before going to school, a response to a measles outbreak that started in Southern California and has reached 107 cases in 14 states. California is one of 19 states that allows parents to enroll their children in school unvaccinated through a “personal belief exemption” to public health laws. The outbreak of measles that began in December in Anaheim’s Disneyland amusement park has spread more quickly in communities where many parents claim the exemption. (Gold, 2/5)

The Wall Street Journal:
Affordable Care Act Enrollment Near 10 Million
Almost 10 million people have signed up for health insurance in state and federal marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act or were re-enrolled in coverage for 2015, federal officials said Wednesday. Nearly 7.5 million people have selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled on the federal exchange, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, secretary of Health and Human Services, said at a Senate hearing. At least 2.4 million people have come in through state-run exchanges, she said. Those numbers include people who have selected a plan but may not necessarily have paid their first month’s premium. (Armour, 2/4)

USA Today:
ACA Sign-Ups Estimated Near 10 Million As Deadline Looms
The rate of sign-ups is expected to accelerate until the Feb. 15 deadline. Andy Slavitt, principal deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urged people "not to wait until the last minute" to sign up. For those who do, however, there will be 14,000 call center employees available, up from 10,000 now. (O'Donnell, 2/4)

The Associated Press:
Health Law Sign-Ups Grow As Feb. 15 Deadline Nears
The Obama administration says sign-ups continue to build under the president's health care law ahead of a Feb. 15 enrollment deadline. Nearly 7.5 million people enrolled as of last Friday in 37 states where the federal government is running insurance markets, which offer subsidized private coverage for people who don't have a job-based plan. (2/4)

The New York Times:
Two Million New Yorkers Have Signed Up For Insurance On Health Exchange
About two million New Yorkers have signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act, with three out of every four of them poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, according to figures released Wednesday by the Cuomo administration. While Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo heralded the overall numbers as a sign of the success of the program, having such a large proportion on Medicaid, which is funded by the government, could impose a heavy new burden on public finances. (Hartocollis, 2/4)

The Tennessean/USA Today:
Tennessee Lawmakers Reject Health Care Expansion
Tennessee will not expand health benefits to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents, with state senators rebuking Gov. Bill Haslam's controversial health care proposal. The state Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted Wednesday against passing Haslam's Insure Tennessee. Only four of the 11 committee members voted in favor of the plan. The vote came minutes after House Speaker Beth Harwell said she didn't think there were enough votes in the House to pass the plan. (Boucher, 2/4)

Politico:
Tennessee Turns Down Obamacare Medicaid Expansion
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam’s alternative plan to expand Medicaid under Obamacare was dealt a devastating blow on Wednesday, when a Senate panel rejected it on the third day of a legislative special session called solely for that issue. (Pradhan, 2/4)

Los Angeles Times:
Republicans Outline Their Obamacare Alternative
A group of leading Republican lawmakers on Wednesday proposed an outline for replacing the Affordable Care Act in a bid to advance traditional conservative healthcare goals, including deregulating health insurance, curtailing Medicaid spending and changing how health plans are taxed. The outline, which parallels a blueprint that senior GOP senators proposed in the last Congress, is not a formal bill. That precludes the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office from calculating its cost and its precise effect on the nation's healthcare system. (Levey, 2/4)

The Associated Press:
GOP Lawmakers: Scrap Obama Health Law, Use Tax Credits
Republicans released the outline Wednesday as Democrats continue pounding away at them for pledging to repeal and replace Obama's law, practically since its 2010 enactment, without advancing a substitute. That's a growing political liability for Republicans because the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that this year, 19 million Americans will receive coverage as a result of the law, including large numbers in GOP-dominated states. (2/4)

The Associated Press:
GOP Senator: HHS Chief's Answers 'Contemptuous'
A top Republican senator accused the Health and Human Services secretary of being "contemptuous" of Congress on Wednesday by sidestepping questions about Obama administration preparations for a Supreme Court challenge to President Barack Obama's health care law. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing, GOP senators repeatedly asked HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell about her plans should the court rule that federal subsidies for millions of Americans' health insurance are illegal. A decision in the case is expected by June. (2/4)

The New York Times:
Hackers Breached Data Of Millions, Insurer Says
Anthem, one of the nation’s largest health insurers, said late Wednesday that the personal information of tens of millions of its customers and employees, including its chief executive, was the subject of a “very sophisticated external cyberattack.” The company, which is continuing its investigation into the exact scope of the attack, said hackers were able to breach a database that contained as many as 80 million records of current and former customers, as well as employees. (Abelson and Goldstein, 2/5)

The Washington Post:
Massive Data Hack Of Health Insurer Anthem Exposes Millions
[Joseph R. Swedish, president and chief executive of the Indianapolis-based company] said the company would individually notify everyone whose information has been accessed and would provide credit monitoring and identity protection free-of-charge. The company referred customers to a dedicated Web site for further information. (Barbash, 2/5)

The Wall Street Journal:
Health Insurer Anthem Hit By Hackers
Anthem Inc., the country’s second-biggest health insurer, said hackers broke into a database containing personal information for about 80 million of its customers and employees in what is likely to be the largest data breach disclosed by a health-care company. Investigators are still determining the extent of the incursion, which was discovered last week, and Anthem said it is likely that “tens of millions” of records were stolen. The health insurer said the breach exposed names, birthdays, addresses and Social Security numbers but doesn’t appear to involve medical information or financial details such as credit-card or bank-account numbers, nor are there signs the data are being sold on the black market. (Wilde Mathews and Yadron, 2/4)

Los Angeles Times:
Health Insurer Anthem Hacked; Data On Millions Of Patients, Employees Exposed
Anthem has more than 37 million members in California and 13 other states. But the company warned that it also had information in its database on other Blue Cross Blue Shield patients from all 50 states who had sought care in its coverage area. Suspicious activity was first noticed and reported Jan. 27. Two days later, an internal investigation verified that the company was a victim of a cyberattack, the company said. The unauthorized access to the vast database goes back to Dec. 10. (Terhune and Parker, 2/4)

The Associated Press:
Hackers Infiltrate Insurer Anthem, Access Customer Details
The Indianapolis-based insurer said credit card information wasn’t compromised, and it has yet to find evidence that medical information such as insurance claims and test results was targeted or obtained. It was still trying to determine exactly how many people were affected. A spokeswoman said the insurer was working with federal investigators to figure out who was behind the attack. (2/5)

USA Today:
Massive Breach At Health Care Company Anthem Inc.
Because no actual medical information appears to have been stolen, the breach would not come under HIPAA rules, the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which governs the confidentiality and security of medical information. No credit card information was obtained, the company said in a statement e-mailed to USA TODAY. The hackers were probably not interested in medical information about Anthem's customers, said Tim Eades, CEO of computer security firm vArmour in Mountain View, Calif. (Weise, 2/5)

The Washington Post:
For Rand Paul, A Rude Awakening To The Rigors Of A National Campaign
This week, Paul’s ideas put him at the middle of a national controversy when he applied his trademark libertarian, skeptical thinking to the question of childhood vaccines. They should be largely voluntary, Paul said, as a matter of freedom. He also said he had heard of children who “wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.” Paul also ran into trouble on the P.R. front. At times, he has seemed disinterested — or unprepared — for the basic tasks of being a national politician. For instance, this week he “shushed” a female interviewer on national TV. After his vaccine comments drew angry reactions, he accused the media of misconstruing his remarks about vaccines and mental disorders. (Fahrenthold and Hamburger, 2/5)

The New York Times:
Rand Paul Is Linked To Doctors’ Group That Supports Vaccination Challenges
Back in 2009, when Rand Paul was pursuing his long-shot bid to win Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary, he spoke to a small physicians’ association that has publicized discredited medical theories, including possible links between vaccines and autism and between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer. At the time, Mr. Paul, an ophthalmologist, was no stranger to the group, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. He boasted at its annual meeting that he had been a member for more than two decades and that he relied on its research, statistics and views about the role of government in medicine. (Peters and Meier, 2/4)

Politico:
Rand Paul Decades-Long Member Of Group Opposed To Forced Vaccines
Rand Paul, who has been mired in controversy over whether child vaccinations should be mandatory, has long been associated with a medical group that opposes mandatory vaccinations and has published reports promoting a handful of other dubious positions. The Kentucky Republican’s association with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons dates back to at least 1990, though the group’s executive director, Dr. Jane Orient, told Politico that Paul stopped paying dues when he was elected to the Senate in 2010. (Debenedetti, 2/4)

The Wall Street Journal:
Two California Lawmakers Seek To End ‘Personal Belief’ Vaccination Exemption
A recent measles outbreak has California lawmakers rethinking the state’s immunization policies, with state legislators weighing changes to personal exemptions to vaccinations and its two U.S. senators urging the end of all exemptions other than medical. So-called “personal belief” exemptions to immunizing children against diseases have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, sparking debate over whether parents should be required to vaccinate their children before they enter school. (Lazo, 2/4)

Los Angeles Times:
Bill Would Abolish Vaccination Exemption For Parents' Personal Beliefs
A group of state lawmakers announced legislation Wednesday that would abolish an exemption from the mandate that children get vaccinated before they enter school if it conflicts with their parents' personal beliefs. Surrounded by mothers holding babies, five lawmakers said during a Capitol news conference that the legislation was needed to address a trend among many parents not getting their children immunized against common diseases and the spread of some preventable illnesses including measles and whooping cough. (McGreevy, 2/4)

The Washington Post:
California’s ‘Personal Belief’ Vaccine Opt-Out Now In Danger
There is no official breakdown of the nature of the beliefs specified by parents. However, significant numbers of Americans think vaccines are harmful to the health of children, despite the absence of supporting evidence, and are egged on by a few medical professionals as well as some libertarians. Anti-vaccine sentiment is blamed in part for the current measles outbreak that began in California’s Disneyland in early December and has since spread to at least eight states and Mexico, with 103 cases in California. (Barbash, 2/5)

Los Angeles Times:
California Gov. Jerry Brown Appears Open To Restricting Vaccine Waivers
Gov. Jerry Brown, who preserved religious exemptions to state vaccination requirements in 2012, on Wednesday appeared open to legislation that would eliminate all but medical waivers. The governor's new flexibility highlighted a growing momentum toward limiting vaccination exemptions partly blamed for the state's worst outbreak of measles since 2000 and flare-ups of whooping cough and other preventable illnesses. (McGreevy and Lin, 2/4)

Los Angeles Times:
Feinstein, Boxer Urge California To Reconsider Vaccine Exemptions
California’s two U.S. senators on Wednesday called on state officials to reconsider California’s policy on allowing exemptions to childhood vaccinations. Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, in a letter to state Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley, said the two parental exemptions allowed under California law, on religious grounds or due to a personal objection made after consulting with a health professional, are “flawed.’’ The senators support exemptions for medical reasons, such as a child with immune deficiency. (Willon and McGreevy, 2/4)

NPR:
Pediatricians Pressured To Drop Parents Who Won't Vaccinate
Dr. Bob Sears, a pediatrician in Capistrano Beach, Calif., says that he strongly believes in the protective power of vaccines to save lives. But he's also well-known in Southern California as a doctor who won't pressure parents who refuse to vaccinate their children, or who refuse some vaccines, or who want to stray from the recommended schedule of vaccinations. "They all come to me because, I guess, I'm more respectful of their decisions, more willing to listen to them," Sears says, "[and to] discuss pros and cons and acknowledge that there are some side effects to vaccines." (Neighmond, 2/4)

NPR:
Measles + Low Vaccination Rates = Big Headaches For Schools
In Southern California many schools are facing tough questions about measles. California is one of 20 states that allow students to opt out of school vaccination requirements when those rules conflict with their parents' personal beliefs. Many affluent areas along the California coast are home to schools with some of the highest "personal belief exemption" rates in the country. And that is creating some tension for administrators and health officials, (Siegler, 2/4)

The Wall Street Journal:
Gilead Sciences Down On Discounting News
Shares in Gilead Sciences Inc. fell as much as 10% in morning trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange, a day after the company estimated the discounts it gives on new hepatitis C drugs would more than double this year. Investors appeared surprised by the amount of the discounts, which Gilead said during an earnings call on Tuesday would increase to an average of 46% this year, up from 22% last year. (Rockoff and Stynes, 2/4)

The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot:
What The ‘Shocking’ Gilead Discounts On Its Hepatitis C Drugs Will Mean
File this under ‘You can’t please everyone all the time.’ On one hand, Gilead Sciences had great news yesterday for investors. The drug maker reported that revenue more than doubled in the fourth quarter thanks to $3.8 billion in sales of its Sovaldi and Harvoni hepatitis C treatments. ... But then there was the sobering news that discounts for the treatments, which Gilead and its supporters argue are more cost-effective than the previous standard of care, will more than double this year – to 46%, on average. (Silverman, 2/4)

NPR:
Hospitals Fail To Protect Nursing Staff From Becoming Patients
According to surveys by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are more than 35,000 back and other injuries among nursing employees every year, severe enough that they have to miss work. Nursing assistants and orderlies each suffer roughly three times the rate of back and other musculoskeletal injuries as construction laborers. In terms of sheer number of these injuries, BLS data show that nursing assistants are injured more than any other occupation, followed by warehouse workers, truckers, stock clerks and registered nurses. (Zwerdling, 2/4)

Los Angeles Times:
California Lawmakers Target $1,000 Hepatitis Pill, Other Costly Drugs
California lawmakers are joining the national debate over what effect high-priced specialty drugs are having on medical costs for consumers and taxpayers. A hearing Wednesday led by state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) is expected to feature testimony from an executive at Gilead Sciences Inc. about Sovaldi, the company's $1,000-per-pill hepatitis C drug that has drawn criticism from members of Congress, Medicaid officials and health insurers. (Terhune, 2/4)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.